By Steve Harrison

Poll: Jennifer Roberts leading Edwin Peacock in Charlotte mayoral race

Women and minorities bolster Roberts’ campaign

Peacock targets infrequent Republican and independent voters

School diversity issue divides along racial lines

Democrat Jennifer Roberts holds a 15 percentage-point lead over Republican Edwin Peacock in the Charlotte mayor’s race two weeks before the election, according to a new Charlotte Observer poll.

Roberts has the support of 54 percent of voters who indicated they were likely to vote in the mayor’s race, compared with 39 percent for Peacock, the poll showed. Seven percent are undecided.

Peacock, a former City Council member, lost the mayor’s race two years ago by 6 percentage points to Democrat Patrick Cannon. Five months later, Cannon was arrested on federal corruption charges.

Cannon’s arrest has been a focal point for Peacock in 2015. He launched his campaign with a cartoon video of Cannon in the mayor’s office surrounded by sacks of money – a reference to the former mayor accepting a briefcase with $20,000 in cash from federal agents.

Peacock is using the arrest to implore more people to vote. He is making a push to get infrequent Republican and independent voters to the polls by reminding them of the consequences of not voting two years ago.

But the poll results suggested that the scandal was not a big issue. When asked whether Cannon’s arrest would influence their vote, 84 percent of the respondents said no.

Roberts announced she would run for mayor in May of 2014, two months after Cannon’s arrest. Not only has she been campaigning longer than any candidate, her opponents in the Democratic primary have said Roberts was effective at reaching out to voters by attending numerous forums, neighborhood meetings and other events.

Her main campaign themes are expanding economic opportunity and improving schools.

Campaigns respond

Peacock leads among white voters, 51 percent to 42 percent, according to the poll. But Roberts overcomes that advantage with a large lead among minorities, with 79 percent of the black vote and 63 percent of the Hispanic vote, the poll showed.

She also has a wide lead among female voters, 59 percent to 34 percent.

“I like her stand on education, and I like that she’s a woman,” said Queen Byrd, an African-American voter who lives in Clanton Park in west Charlotte. “We have had a lot of men. It’s time for a woman.”

“I sense she’s a people person,” said Sharon Edwards, a white voter who lives in Raintree in south Charlotte and supports Roberts. “We need to be looking to bringing people together and figuring out how we can all live together. It doesn’t have anything to do with politics. It’s just me listening to two of them, and I just feel comfortable with her.”

Edwards said she’s most concerned that the new apartment boom will price people out of Charlotte.

The Observer’s poll surveyed 1,324 likely voters last week, with a margin of sampling error of 2.7 percent.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article39644262.html#storylink=cpy

Democrat Jennifer Roberts easily turned back incumbent Dan Clodfelter in Tuesday’s mayoral runoff and now faces Republican Edwin Peacock in an election that will guarantee Charlotte its fifth different mayor in less than three years.

Roberts took 54.27 percent of the vote to Clodfelter’s 45.73 percent. She had led a field of six Democrats in the first primary on Sept. 15.

A total of 6.09 percent of eligible voters went to the polls to select the person who could become Charlotte’s next mayor. It was Mecklenburg County’s highest turnout for a runoff in two decades.

Roberts enters the general election with an edge. Almost half the city’s registered voters are Democrats; less than a quarter are Republicans.

BY JIM MORRILL

Charlotte Democrat Jennifer Roberts led the field in Tuesday’s primary but faces a runoff with Mayor Dan Clodfelter in an Oct. 6 runoff.

The winner goes on to a November contest against Edwin Peacock, who easily turned back Scott Stone in the Republican primary.

Roberts tapped a diverse base of support in winning more votes than any mayoral candidate Tuesday.

Clodfelter edged City Council member David Howard by 643 votes for second place. Council member Michael Barnes trailed, though far ahead of newcomers Roderick Davis and DeJawon Joseph.

Roberts had 35.77 percent and Clodfelter 25.78 percent of the vote to Howard’s 23.70 percent and Barnes’13.98 percent. Forty percent was needed to avoid a runoff.

In the Republican primary, Peacock had twice as many votes as Stone.

It’s Peacock’s second bid for mayor. In 2013 he lost to Democrat Patrick Cannon, who resigned five months later in a federal corruption scandal that sent him to prison.

“This election is about Charlotte,” Peacock said in a statement. “This is about bringing everyone together to ensure all four corners of Charlotte have the opportunity to prosper.”

Roberts, 55, is trying to be the third woman to serve as mayor after Republican Sue Myrick and Democrat Patsy Kinsey. She would become the first person to serve both as mayor and as head of the Mecklenburg County board of commissioners, which she chaired for five years.

“I’m just honored to receive the most votes of any mayoral candidate tonight and I look forward to the runoff,” Roberts said Tuesday night. “I think my message of bringing opportunity to all corners of our city through good schools and good jobs has resonated with Charlotte families.”

Her election would give Charlotte its fifth mayor in little more than two years.

But Clodfelter, 65, said he feels “very well-positioned for a runoff.”

“We were sort of starting from scratch, not being active locally here for 15 years,” said the former state senator. “I feel really, really good about the support we got from the community. We ran strong against three other candidates who probably had much better name recognition.”

In a city where African-Americans make up 64 percent of the vote, Roberts and Clodfelter, who are white, cut into the black vote. Roberts even carried some African-American precincts. One was Precinct 16 at Stonewall AME church.

There, one Roberts voter was Angela Waters, a retired school librarian.

“I’ve watched her over the years,” she said of Roberts, adding, “I think it’s time for Charlotte to elect a lady mayor.”

It was Charlotte’s most expensive primary, with candidates raising nearly $1.3 million. But turnout, as expected, was low – 8.73 percent. At some precincts, campaign workers and candidates swarmed scarce voters with final pitches for support.

It was even lower in the Republican contest. In the end Peacock, 45, who served four years on council, had wider name recognition and a bigger war chest than Stone, an engineer making his second run in four years.

Roberts carried wide swaths of east and southeast Charlotte and won some westside precincts. Clodfelter’s strength was concentrated in south central Charlotte and Howard carried precincts in the north and southwest.

Howard, 45, is finishing his third at-large term on City Council. He’s vice president of the Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that develops affordable housing, and a former chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission.

Barnes, 44, has served five terms on council. He’s currently mayor pro tem.

The Democratic race elicited few policy differences and seemed more about biography and style than issues. The candidates generally agreed on the streetcar and the need for regional solutions to transportation problems.

Roberts and Howard emphasized their Charlotte roots. Howard, who grew up on the westside and went on to prosper, often compared his own story with the city’s. “I am Charlotte’s story,” he told audiences. “I want to make sure everybody has the opportunities for success I had.”

“I like his credentials,” said west side voter Gwen McCarroll, a retired teacher. “He can relate to people more or less low income because he came up in that environment.”

The Republican contest was more contentious.

Peacock railed at Stone for distorting his record on the streetcar. They also clashed over the Charlotte airport and even their relevant business experience.

When he was a council member, Peacock was opposed to the streetcar and took several votes against the project in 2009. But Stone criticized him for voting in favor of a city budget that included $8 million for the project.

“I know you could make a political statement to create theater and drama,” Peacock said at one debate. “You are misrepresenting my record. You don’t understand the budget and how it works.”

Another time, Stone said the city should “broker a deal with the legislature” over the airport. The General Assembly in 2013 transferred control from the city to a commission. After a legal battle, the issue remains in limbo while the Federal Aviation Administration decides ultimate control.

For Roberts and Clodfelter, the next campaign starts Wednesday.

RESULTS

Democrats

Michael Barnes 13.98%

Dan Clodfelter 25.78%

Roderick Davis 0.48%

David Howard 23.70%

DeJawon Joseph 0.28%

Jennifer Roberts 35.77%

Republicans

Edwin Peacock III 66.17%

Scott Stone 33.83%

(100 percent of precincts reporting)

The top two Democratic finishers likely meet in an Oct. 6 runoff.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article35396211.html#storylink=cpy

With Tuesday’s primary rapidly approaching, I wanted to take a moment to tell you why I am running to be the next mayor of Charlotte.

I first ran for county commission when my daughter was in elementary school in CMS because I saw an opportunity to help improve our schools for both my daughter and for all of our children.

Education is still the reason I am involved in politics. Ensuring all of our children have access to good schools is the reason I am running for mayor—because having quality schools and after school programs in every corner of our city is the key to unlocking opportunity for every corner of our city. You can trust me to fight to improve our schools because I’ve done it before. As Chairman of the County Commission I improved teacher pay, supported building and renovating schools, and voted to put more nurses in our schools.

As Mayor I’ll work to improve after school programs by raising money to assess and address the gaps in our community. When I am talking to voters every night at their doorsteps, after-school time is what parents keep bringing up as a major concern for their children. After school programs help to ensure that our children have safe, structured environments to develop skills and have extra opportunities to learn. While there are several fantastic programs already working for our children, currently we do not have an organization that monitors and assesses the gaps in our programs. I plan to solve this problem by raising private money to fund an organization that will help steer our precious resources where they are most needed, and I know how to do it because I’ve done it before.

When I was Chairman of the County Commission my friend Crandall Bowles and I heard from the community about the need for more beds for families affected by domestic violence. We went to individuals and businesses and raised $8.1 million to build the domestic violence shelter on West Boulevard. As your mayor I will do that for our children’s after school programs.

My mother taught me that if you really want something you have to work hard for it. That’s what I have always tried to do when representing you. I worked hard as your County Commission Chair to improve funding for our schools, to provide a safe haven for women who needed it, and to create 5,000 new jobs during the worst recession in our lifetimes. I’m working hard in this campaign to earn your support, as I have from the over 1,200 of you who have contributed to our campaign. I will work hard as your mayor to bring opportunity to every child in every corner of our city.

I ask for your prayers, your support, and your vote in Tuesday’sprimary.

Thank you,

Jennifer

PS – Click here to share this letter on Facebook.

Democrat Jennifer Roberts and Republican Edwin Peacock III hold solid leads in their mayoral primaries a week before the start of early voting, according to a Charlotte Observer Poll.

Roberts has the support of 39 percent of likely Democratic voters, one point shy of what she would need to avoid a runoff.

The poll showed incumbent Dan Clodfelter with 21 percent, City Council member Michael Barnes with 14 percent and council member David Howard with 9 percent. Fifteen percent of voters were undecided.

In the Republican contest, Peacock, a former council member, led Scott Stone 44 percent to 26 percent. But 30 percent of likely GOP voters said they were undecided.

“It’s positive affirmation of a broad-based campaign for us and we’re pleased,” said Peacock. “But we don’t stop working because of one poll.”

Roberts said the poll “confirms what I’ve been hearing when I’m out canvassing and knocking on doors.”

“That means my message of strong schools and creating jobs is resonating with Charlotte families,” she said.

The poll surveyed 816 likely Democratic primary voters and 538 likely GOP primary voters. The margin of sampling error for Democrats is 3.4 percentage points. For Republicans, it’s 4.2 percentage points.

Voters in North Carolina’s largest city go to the polls on Sept. 15. Early voting starts Thursday. The candidates appear in a debate Wednesday.

In a multicandidate race, the winner must capture at least 40 percent of the vote. If nobody reaches that threshold, the second-place finisher can call for a runoff, which would be Oct. 6.

Roberts ahead on black vote

Among Democrats, Roberts led the field in every corner of the city. She had more support from men and more from women. She had the support of 37 percent of black voters, almost twice as much as anybody else.

While she and Clodfelter together got almost half of the voter support, the two African-American candidates each got just 4 percent of the white vote, according to the poll.

Roberts gets support from African-American Democrats such as Patsy Burkins, who runs the nonprofit Charlotte Community Services Association.

“I think this is the time for a female president and a female mayor,” said Burkins. “The women from where I sit are pretty strong for Jennifer.”

Clodfelter spokeswoman Maria Smithson questioned the methodology of the automated poll, in which participants respond to recorded questions.

“I don’t think those numbers reflect what we’re seeing on the ground,” she said. “I have every confidence that Mayor Clodfelter is much closer to Jennifer than that poll reflects.”

Barnes said he’s confident. “I’m excited about the work I’ve done, and I look forward to the election,” he said.

Howard was endorsed Friday by Charlotte’s Black Political Caucus. Campaign manager Trevor Rodgers pointed out that since his candidate entered the race in June, he has outraised other Democrats, contacted more than 25,000 voters and won the endorsement of two former mayors, Harvey Gantt and Eddie Knox.

“Back in 2009, a poll showed us in seventh place for (four) City Council at-large (seats), and we won,” Rodgers said.

Roberts had raised $335,000 through early August, more than any mayoral candidate. Clodfelter had raised $220,000 and Howard, $190,000. Barnes had raised $25,000.

Democrats Roderick Davis and DeJawon Joseph are also on the primary ballot.

The Republican primary features two men who’ve run for mayor before. Peacock, who served two terms on council, lost the 2013 race to Democrat Patrick Cannon. Stone lost in 2011 to Democrat Anthony Foxx.

The poll showed Peacock leading Stone among men and women. He enjoyed his strongest support in south and north Charlotte. Peacock has raised $204,000 to Stone’s $107,000.

“Given the high number of undecideds in the race, it shows that people are just now starting to pay attention,” Stone said. “And it shows that Peacock is vulnerable, given that he’s run for office so many more times than I have.”

Partisan divide on issues

The Observer also polled on issues that have come up at forums and other campaign events. The results showed that on most, voters were divided along partisan lines.

▪ Forty-six percent of all likely Charlotte voters oppose plans to extend the streetcar, which opened its first segment this summer, compared with 40 percent who support a planned extension. Fourteen percent were undecided.

While 51 percent of Democrats support the streetcar expansion, 68 percent of Republicans opposed it.

▪ Fifty-one percent of all voters said they favor expanding the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance to include gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Republicans oppose the idea nearly 2-1. Democrats support it almost 3-1.

▪ Traffic barely edged crime and the economy as the most pressing issue facing the city among all voters.

Among Democrats, affordable housing also ranked high. Only 4 percent of Republicans cited it as a problem.

▪ Nearly 6 in 10 – 58 percent – of voters would raise the pay of all city employees to at least $15 an hour.

Three out of 4 Democrats support it. Most Republicans oppose it.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article32742831.html

Jim Morrill: jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com, 704-358-5059, @jimmorrill

Last May, Jennifer Roberts began what might be one of the longest mayoral campaigns Charlotte has seen.

Weeks after Patrick Cannon resigned after his arrest on federal corruption charges in late March, Roberts announced at Freedom Park that she would run.

“A lot of people were encouraging me to get back into public service,” said Roberts, who served on the County Commission for eight years.

She said she approached the City Council about being appointed to finish Cannon’s term, but Roberts said she wasn’t interested in having to pledge not run for the office in the fall of 2015.

Since then, Roberts has been an active fundraiser, raising more than $334,000.

Her main message: The city needs to expand economic opportunity.

“We need to work very hard to make sure we are working to expand opportunity to every corner,” Roberts said.

Roberts has said she wants residents to know that the city has programs and resources to help small business and other start-ups.

Roberts served on the County Commission from 2004 to 2012, and was generally supportive of county staff. That included a period when former County Manager Harry Jones was being criticized for a property revaluation and problems at the county social services agencies.

Jones was fired about six months after Roberts stepped down from the commission.

“I learned that we could have been more transparent earlier on some of the issues that arose,” she said. “Every huge organization will have issues that will develop.”

Steve Harrison

JENNIFER ROBERTS

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article31110905.html

Steve Harrison: sharrison@charlotteobserver.com

Source: The Charlotte Observer

 HIGHLIGHTS

• Democrat Jennifer Roberts led all candidates by raising more than $300,000
• Democrat Dan Clodfelter tapped a network of fellow lawyers
• Republicans Edwin Peacock and Scott Stone turned to business and GOP donors

From the corner office to across the street, Charlotte’s mayoral candidates turned to their bases for the money they hope will lift them to victory.

Charlotte’s six major candidates tapped a range of supporters as they pulled in more than $900,000, according to reports filed this month.

• Democrat Jennifer Roberts relied on a wide network from earlier campaigns for county commissioner and Congress. With a long head-start on her rivals, she raised more than $300,000 from a variety of supporters, with an especially strong showing among women.

• After a late start, Democratic Mayor Dan Clodfelter raised $183,000, in part by tapping networks of fellow lawyers.

• Democratic City Council member David Howard raised $159,000 with contributions from across the city, including from two former mayors.

• Democrat Michael Barnes, the mayor pro tem, raised less than $20,000 and later downplayed the role of money.

• Republican Edwin Peacock raised $137,000, while his GOP opponent Scott Stone took in $104,000. Both relied heavily on support from business professionals and raised most of their money in southeast Charlotte.

The candidates meet in primaries on Sept. 15. Early voting starts Sept. 3.

Turnout is expected to be low. Two years ago, less than 7 percent of Charlotte voters went to the polls to nominate a new mayor. In low-turnout elections, grassroots campaigning often makes more of an impact than money.

But fundraising is a broad reflection of a candidate’s support and organization.

“It’s a valuable indicator … but it’s not the only thing,” says Martha Kroph, a political scientist at UNC Charlotte.

“IT MEANS MY MESSAGE IS CONNECTING WITH CHARLOTTE VOTERS.”

Jennifer Roberts

Roberts began running more than a year ago. By January, she’d already raised $154,000. She tapped a network that helped her win four at-large terms on the board of county commissioners.

Her donors include academics, executives, teachers and business owners. A Spanish-speaking former diplomat, she raised money from La Noticia publisher Hilda Gurdian and other members of Charlotte’s international community.

“It means my message is connecting with Charlotte voters,” Roberts says. “It’s really a pretty diverse group, lots of moms but also executives and retirees. It represents the community.”

Clodfelter raised more than $61,000 from fellow attorneys. That was 42 percent of all he raised since he started running last spring. It included $18,500 from lawyers in his old firm, Moore & Van Allen, and $6,900 from those with his current firm, Parker Poe.

A former state senator, he transferred $37,700 from his Senate account. Clodfelter says his donations from other attorneys is a sort of testimonial.

“I thought it was a pretty positive sign that the people who know me best are willing to support me,” he says.

 “I’M THE ONLY PERSON IN THE RACE WHO CAN TALK TO SOMEONE AT THE CORNER OF REMOUNT ROAD AND WEST BOULEVARD AND THE BOARD ROOM OF DUKE ENERGY.”

David Howard

Howard’s supporters included business leaders, developers and community activists. Among his contributors were former Mayors Eddie Knox and Harvey Gantt.

“I think I’m the only person in the race who can talk to someone at the corner of Remount Road and West Boulevard and the board room of Duke Energy,” Howard says.

Barnes raised less than $20,000. But in 2013, he was outraised nearly 3-1 among at-large candidates and still led the ticket.

“I’ve never been a big fan of fundraising,” he says. “But I did what I needed to do in terms of getting my message to voters and connecting with voters.”

Peacock, who raised nearly $400,000 in his 2013 race against Democrat Patrick Cannon, tapped familiar donors, most from business and many from the finance and insurance industries. This time he raised $137,000 in 42 days.

“We were ecstatic with that kind of response,” he says. “For being the last (major candidate) to announce, we were really pleased.’

Stone raised nearly as much this year as he did through his entire 2011 campaign against incumbent Democrat Anthony Foxx. Like Peacock, he found most of his support from traditional GOP donors in southeast Charlotte.

“I would say it reflects a broad base of support from a lot of different pockets in the community,” Stone says.

Democratic candidates Roderick Davis and DeJawon Joseph reported no contributors.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Source: Mecklenburg County Board of Elections

NOTABLE DONORS

Democrats

Michael Barnes
• Daniel Levine, Matthews, Levine Properties, $800
• Alvin Levine, Charlotte, Levine Properties, $800
• Richard Lazes, Cornelius, Ark Group: $500
• Noah Lazes, Cornelius, Ark Group: $500
• Nigel Long, Charlotte, investment banker, $1,000
• George Laughrun, Charlotte attorney: $1,000

Dan Clodfelter
• Thomas Belk Jr., CEO Belk Inc., $2,500
• Erskine Bowles, investment banker, $500
• Former N.C. Revenue Secretary David Hoyle, $1,500
• Developer Fred Klein, $1,000
• Charlotte attorney Russell Robinson, $3,000
• C.D. Spangler, former UNC System president, $5,000

David Howard
• Hugh McColl, retired Bank of America chairman, $1,000
• Harvey Gantt, former mayor, $500
• Don Beaver, Conover, Charlotte Knights owner, $250
• Darryl Dewberry, CEO Spectrum Properties, $1,000
• Roddey Dowd Jr., president, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, $500
• Dianne English, executive director, Community Building Initiative, $250

Jennifer Roberts
• Tim Bice, Wells Fargo executive, $3,500
• Crandall Bowles, former Springs Company executive, $1,500
• Wayne Cooper, a founder of Charlotte’s International Cabinet, $650
• Tom Gabbard, CEO, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, $250
• H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, former speedway executive, $600
• Clay Grubb, CEO, Grubb Properties, $2,275

Republicans

Edwin Peacock III
• Attorney John Fennebresque, chair of University of North Carolina board of trustees, $5,100
• Michael and Wendy Kahn, owners, Charlotte Checkers, $10,200
• Frank Harrison, CEO, Coca Cola Bottlers, $2,000
• Former Gov. Jim Martin, $500
• Ronald Withrow, chairman, Withrow Capital, $1,000
• R. Glenn Sherrill Jr., president, Steelfab, $2,500

Scott Stone
• Sandra Keffer, Keffer Auto Group, $5,100
• Former N.C. Rep. Ed McMahan, $500
• Felix Sabates, NASCAR team partner, auto dealer, $2,000
• William Crowder, president, Crowder Construction, $3,000
• Jay Faison, entrpreneur and environmental activist, $2,000
• Mark Harris, First Baptist pastor, $250

Jennifer Roberts has so far raised $302,277 for the upcoming Charlotte mayoral race, the most among Democrats and Republicans, according to the first campaign finance reports filed Friday.

Roberts, who announced her candidacy in May 2014, said two-thirds of her donors have given less than $200.

“My support comes from retirees, teachers, nurses,” said Roberts, a former county commissioner. “I am still finding new supporters.”

Her early announcement gave her a head start, and she released her report two weeks ago to tout how much she has collected. But the other candidates say they are raising money quickly as they prepare for the Sept. 15 party primaries.

Democrat Dan Clodfelter, the sitting mayor, has $182,904, though he started with about $37,000 in the bank from a previous campaign account. Clodfelter spent heavily, however, and has only $64,106 as of June 30, the last day for this finance report.

At-large council Democratic council member David Howard has $158,876. And Democrat Michael Barnes, another at-large council member, raised $19,350. But he also started with a little more than $30,000 in the bank from his previous race.

Among the four prominent Democratic candidates, Barnes is last in fundraising.

But he had a similar situation in 2013, when he ran for an at-large seat and was out-raised significantly by Howard and Vi Lyles, who also won seats that year. He received the most votes among all at-large candidates, despite having a minimal campaign presence.

“I did what I’ve always done – raise enough to execute my strategy and be as responsible with my campaign money as I am with the taxpayers’ money,” Barnes said this week.

Money also wasn’t the primary factor two years ago in the mayor’s race. Republican Edwin Peacock raised $123,000 more than Democrat Patrick Cannon, but lost the election by six percentage points.

On the Republican side, Peacock, who is running again, has raised $130,000. Businessman Scott Stone has about $104,000.

The Democrats may have to run a gauntlet of three elections to become mayor.

There is the Sept. 15 primary. If no one receives 40 percent of the vote, there would be a run-off in Oct. 6. Then there is the general election in November against either Peacock or Stone.

“You better have enough money to go on TV a week after the primary,” said Republican political consultant Larry Shaheen, who isn’t working for any of the mayoral candidates.

Republicans

Peacock, a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual, said he’s pleased with his fundraising, since he said he started his campaign “with zero in the bank account.”

His support has come from a broad base of businessmen, bankers, developers and attorneys.

His top donor, with $5,100, is John Correnti, the chief executive of Steel Development Co. in Blytheville, Ark. Michael and Wendy Kahn, owners of the Charlotte Checkers, each gave $5,100.

Peacock said the real estate and development industry seems to be cautious this election, and waiting to see who emerges from the Democratic primary before writing checks.

“The real estate industry has largely been an equal opportunity supporter (of Democrats and Republicans) and they are largely waiting,” Peacock said.

Stone has raised about $104,000. Among his largest donors: auto executive Felix Sabates ($2,000); Bill Crowder of Crowder Construction ($2,000); and businessman Jay Faison ($2,000).

Democrats

The backbone of Roberts’s money has come from small donors, though some have written large checks.

Tim Bice, a Wells Fargo executive, gave $3,500. Phillip Blumenthal of the Blumenthal Foundation donated $2,500. Crandall Bowles of the Springs Company gave $1,500.

Roberts has $204,601 left to spend, as of June 30.

Howard is an executive with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, which builds affordable housing. In his previous campaigns for City Council, Howard received a large amount of support from his peers in the development community.

So far Howard has received support from Realtors, land-use attorneys and others associated with building. Retired banker Hugh McColl ($1,000) and former mayor Harvey Gantt ($500) are also supporting his campaign.

Executives with New York-based Titan Advertising, which has a city contract to sell bus ads, also gave.

Clodfelter, who was appointed mayor after Cannon’s arrest on federal corruption charges, is running as the incumbent. He is an attorney with Parker Poe and is well-versed in development issues.

Most of his donors are from the city’s top-tier law firms, including Moore & Van Allen, where he practiced before becoming mayor.

John Belk and Thomas Belk, who have ties to the department store chain, gave Clodfelter a combined $3,5000; former N.C. Senate candidate Erskine Bowles gave $500; and National Gypsum owner C.D. Spangler gave $5,000.

Sam Hardiman contributed

Steve Harrison: sharrison@charlotteobserver.com

Charlotte Democrat Jennifer Roberts Tuesday reported raising more than $300,000 for her mayoral bid, a near-record amount for this point in a campaign for an open seat.

Roberts was the first mayoral candidate to file a fundraising report. They’re due at the end of the month.

“We are off to a great start but I know we have more work to do and I will continue to work hard every day to get our message out that we stand for good jobs, strong schools and economic opportunity for all people,” she said in a statement.

Roberts appears to have raised more than any non-incumbent Democrat up to this point. When he ran for a first term in 2009, Democrat Anthony Foxx had raised $250,000. His opponent, Republican John Lassiter, had raised $311,000.

Foxx raised much more in 2011 when he would go on to win a second term.

Among Roberts’ notable donors:

▪ Former textile executive Crandall Bowles: $1,500.

▪ Attorney John Fennebresque, chairman of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors: $2,500.

▪ Philanthropist Sarah Belk Gambrell: $2,250.

▪ Developer Clay Grubb: $2,275.

Jim Morrill: 704-358-5059, @jimmorrill